When you decide to start a blog, you not only have to think about how you want to design it, but also how are you going to market it. Marketing is the key in all business, online or offline, and will be a foundation to your success. Taking the necessary steps to get your gluten free blog noticed on the search engines is not a complex process, but it does take some time and effort.

The very first thing you can do is to start a blog. Blogging consistently is an excellent way to start bringing traffic into your website. Let people know why you started a site, and what you intend to do with it. How are you going to help people and be any different than the next guy? Blog posts that contain keyword-rich content will help your site rank higher in the search engines, although it may take some time for this to happen. Get your voice out there and be consistent.

Write with your audience in mind – What is it that your target market wants to read about? How are you able to solve their problems with your site or product?

Engage your reader by asking them questions – The simple way to know what your readers want is to ask them. Make them want to leave comments and suggestions regarding your content. Once your audience feels like they can engage with you, trust begins to form and a solid relationship can be created.

Clear, concise headlines – Make sure your readers know what your content is all about. Having a headline that centers on an issue the reader wants to know about will draw them in and make them want to know more from you.

Call to action – Once you’ve wrote your epic content, make sure there is a call to action following the blog post. You can offer them something in return for signing up on your email list. This can be a free report, e-book, or set of articles that help them solve a problem.

Social networking –Social media is such a big part of online marketing in today’s world. If you want your website to get noticed you must become a part of a social community. You will be able to expand your readership, and gain a larger following. The reach that social media has is vast. This is not something you want to pass up when trying to build your business.

SEO – Optimize your website with keyword rich content. This can allow your ranking to be higher within the search engines. SEO is not something that can be learned overnight. It will take some time, effort, and patience on your part but it can be a helpful technique in getting your website noticed.

No matter what way you choose to market your site, just make sure put your audience at the forefront of everything you do. They have chosen you as a valuable source of information by even coming to your site and reading your content. Your audience definitely plays a factor in how you should market yourself and your site. Be transparent and unique in your delivery and you will be sure to build lifelong relationships with people that like and trust you.

Personally I get really excited when I met someone else who is on a gluten free diet. Whether I’m in the gluten free aisle at my local grocery store or at a crowded event, I instantly I feel a connection. I say to myself, “this person understands exactly what it means to live the way I live – gluten free.”

Although, I have not attended a dedicated gluten free conference (until this fall where I’ll be attending the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in New Jersey), I’ve attended some of the largest conferences across the US like BlogHer. Before you attend an expo where you’ll be networking with other bloggers and companies, there are three things you need to do to prepare yourself. Here they are:

1. Know the conference’s Twitter hashtag

Start networking early. Most conferences and expos provide attendees with a Twitter hashtag. Don’t wait until you walk into the convention area to start networking. Start following the hashtag several weeks before to meet others also attending. Even if you consider yourself a social butterfly, it’s always easier to walk into a room where you already know a few people!

2. Print business cards

During your time at the conference, you’ll meet a lot of people. Make sure you’re able to continue your networking after you go home by giving out business cards to your new contacts. Include your name, email address and website address for easy follow up.

3. Create an elevator pitch for your blog

While you will be meeting a lot of people, you want to make an impression. In order for your new contacts to remember you, you’ll want to create an elevator pitch for your blog. Think about your blog. Do you provide gluten free recipes? Gluten free product reviews? Incorporate this into your pitch. Here’s an example of the elevator pitch for the Gluten Free Bloggers network.

“After attending some of the best blogging conferences and spending thousands of dollars learning the best tips and tricks to creating a successful blog, I created the Gluten Free Bloggers network as a community to share this knowledge. With over 400 members today, we actively connect bloggers with gluten free brands.”

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Who Runs the Network?

Jenna Drew is an 8-year veteran of the world of blogging. She got started as a gluten free blogger with GlutenFreeJenna.com in 2009 when she started living a gluten free lifestyle.

She started the Network in 2009. Today, she helps gluten free bloggers use the power of content marketing to reach more people and monetize their blogs. Read more about Jenna or get in touch. Connect on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.